Inspired by Gaga's intrigue of "the decay of the celebrity", The Fame Monster is a pop record whose music draws on disco, glam rock, and synthpop sounds, among others. Its subject matter explores fame, love, sexuality, female empowerment and so forth, sometimes through various monster metaphors. Goth subculture provide the backbone for the album's visual work, including its cover art, which was shot by French photographer Hedi Slimane. The Fame Monster was promoted by television and festival performances, spawning the international singles "Bad Romance", "Telephone", "Alejandro", and "Dance in the Dark".

The Fame Monster was well received by critics, many of whom praised its production and Gaga's creative ambition. The album topped the charts worldwide and debuted at number five in the United States, where as of April 2016, it has sold over 1.6 million copies. It was a candidate for numerous awards, including a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards, and won several other honors recognizing its writing, production, artistry, and vocals.

Background and development

Gaga, pictured in 2009. The singer's touring experiences would shape The Fame Monster's early musical direction.

The idea of a re-release arose after the success of The Fame (2008), Gaga's first major studio album. The singer felt re-releases were a disservice to music artists because "it's artists sneaking singles onto an already finished piece of work in an effort to keep the album afloat."[1]Interscope initially wanted three songs for the project, but as The Fame Monster began taking definite form, it developed into "much more than that".[1] She had already composed "Monster" by March 2009.[1] Gaga sought for a darker and edgier concept than she had previously done,[2] and cited her love of horror film and "the decay of the celebrity and the way that fame is a monster in society" as the creative bedrock for The Fame Monster.[3]

The album's early musical direction was also shaped by Gaga's touring experiences, in which she allegedly encountered "several monsters" that encapsulated her biggest fears. These fears were divided into various monster metaphors, such as the "Fear of Sex Monster", "Fear of Love Monster", "Fear of Alcohol Monster", and so forth. "I spent a lot of nights in Eastern Europe," the singer said. "And this album is a pop experimentation with industrial/Goth beats, 90's dance melodies, an obsession with the lyrical genius of 80's melancholic pop, and the runway".[4] She wrote new music while viewing muted fashion shows, "I am compelled to say my music was scored for them."[4] Recording sessions were held in Los Angeles, London, Osaka, and Amsterdam.[5]

In an interview with MTV News, Gaga said that The Fame and The Fame Monster were yin and yang because of their contrasting styles and concepts. She explained, "It's '[t]his is how I feel. I feel divided. I feel a dichotomy within myself. I am ready for the future, but I mourn the past.' And it's a very real rite of passage — you have to let go of things. You have to mourn them like a death so that you can move on, and that's sort of what the album is about."[2]The Fame Monster was released in North America on November 23, 2009. A deluxe release which featured The Fame as a bonus disc was launched the same day, and a limited edition issue—which included a lock of her wig—followed three weeks later.[6] Interscope originally hoped to only put out a double-disc deluxe re-release of The Fame, but such was not financially feasible. Thus, in countries such as the United States, The Fame Monster was released as a standard extended play (EP).[6]

Composition

"Well, my dad has had a heart condition for about 15 years. He has had a bad aortic valve, and his body for a very long time was only pumping a third of the blood that you're supposed to get every time his heart beat. So he [was] resigned that he wasn't going to get the surgery and told my mother and I that he was going to let his life take its course... And I was on tour and I couldn't leave, so I went into the studio and I wrote this song 'Speechless'. My dad used to call me after he'd had a few drinks and I wouldn't know what to say. I was speechless and I just feared that I would lose him and I wouldn't be there. I wrote this song as a plea to him."[7]

—Gaga on the inspiration behind "Speechless"

The final cut of The Fame Monster comprises eight tracks on the standard edition.[5] The record displays Gaga's taste for pastiche, drawing on "Seventies arena glam, perky ABBA disco, and sugary throwbacks like Stacey Q".[8]The Telegraph felt that while not as thematically unified as its predecessor, The Fame Monster nonetheless remains engaging by virtue of Gaga's "vivacious energy, bold melodies and almost comically relentless sensationalism".[9]

"Monster" consists of stuttering synths and instrumentation from heavy drums.[13] Among other songs is the ballad "Speechless" which is a 1970s rock-inspired number that touches upon abusive relationships in lyrics upon "I can't believe how you slurred at me with your half-wired broken jaw". It consists of vocal harmonies and guitar riffs, which according to PopMatters, is comparable to the work of Freddie Mercury and Queen.[13] Produced by Ron Fair, "Speechless" was recorded with all live instruments such as drums, guitars and bass. Gaga plays piano.[14]

The album's fifth track, "Dance in the Dark", depicts a girl being uncomfortable when having sex. Speaking about the song, Gaga said, "She doesn't want her man to see her naked. She will be free, and she will let her inner animal out, but only when the lights are out."[15] In "So Happy I Could Die", Gaga presents an ode to sexual feeling and actions, stating, "I love that lavender blonde/ The way she moves the way she walks/ I touch myself, can't get enough." Essentially a love song, the object of affection in "So Happy" becomes Gaga herself as she talks about drinking, dancing, observing, and touching herself. Gaga's voice sounds sedated in the song.[10][12] "So Happy" also uses Auto-Tune in its music.[11]

"Alejandro" incorporates elements of the music of ABBA and Ace of Base with the lyrics talking about Gaga fending off a harem of Latino men. "Telephone" talks about the singer preferring the dance floor rather than answering her lover's call.[12] The verses are sung in a rapid-fire way, accompanied by double beats.[12] Gaga explained that the song deals with her fear of suffocation, "fear [of] never being able to enjoy myself. 'Cause I love my work so much, I find it really hard to go out and have a good time." The phone on the song is not just a physical phone, but also the voice of a person in her head telling her to keep working harder and harder.[16] The last song, "Teeth", contains gospel music and the lyrics are written in S&M style, telling that the closest she will get to another human being involves being tied up and bitten.[12]

Release and artwork

Initially conceived as part of a double-disc deluxe reissue of The Fame, Gaga later confirmed, in an interview with MTV News, that The Fame Monster would instead be released in North America as a standard album. The deluxe issue was released simultaneously with the standard edition, and a limited edition issue came out three weeks later on December 15, 2009. The package included a lock of Gaga's hair as well as a variety of products from her creative team, Haus of Gaga.[17] The singer said, "In the midst of my creative journey composing The Fame Monster, there came an exciting revelation that this was in fact my sophomore album, [...] I would not add, nor take away any songs from this EP. It is a complete conceptual and musical body of work that can stand on its own two feet."[17] On May 3, 2010, The Fame Monster Limited Edition USB flash drive was released. It included the explicit version of, as well as nine remixes, eight music videos, a digital booklet, single covers, and a photo gallery.[18]

Two covers were created for The Fame Monster, both of which were shot by French photographer Hedi Slimane. In the cover of the standard edition, Gaga is seen sporting a blond wig and a sleek, angular black coat, the collar of which covering the lower half of her face. The cover of the deluxe version sees the singer draped in thick brown hair, her face embellished with heavy, streamy black eyeliner.[19] Gaga at first had a dispute with her record label over the artwork; Interscope found the brunette cover to be too dark for a mainstream release.[14]Billboard included the standard album cover in their list of the "50 Greatest Album Covers of All Time".[20]

"Telephone" was released as the album's second single.[36] The song features American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles. Gaga first performed the song live at the 2010 BRIT Awards along with another song from The Fame Monster, "Dance in the Dark", as a tribute to Alexander McQueen.[37] The music video for "Telephone" premiered on E! News on March 11, 2010.[38] Gaga stated that the video is a continuation of the "Paparazzi" music video, and it is in a similar short-film style. "Telephone" has been appreciated by critics as being a standout track from The Fame Monster, and charted in numerous countries prior to its release as a single. On March 22, 2010 it reached number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming her second consecutive UK chart topper and fourth in total. It peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, making it her sixth straight single to reach the top ten.[39] It also reached number one on the Pop Songs chart, thus becoming Gaga's sixth consecutive number-one on the chart, tying with Beyoncé and Mariah Carey for most number-ones since the Nielsen BDS-based radio airplay chart launched in 1992.[40] The single received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.[41]

"Alejandro" was released as the album's third single. Originally "Dance in the Dark" was planned to follow the previous single, "Telephone", as a preference of Gaga's record label. Gaga had chosen this song to be the third single on her own without consulting the label. An argument then arose between Gaga and her label where "Alejandro" was ultimately chosen to be released. Through her account on Twitter, the singer remarked on the decision, "Alejandro is on the radio. Fuck it sounds so good, we did it little monsters."[42][43] The single was officially sent to radio on April 20, 2010 in the United States.[44] "Alejandro" reached the top five on the Australian and Canadian charts, as well as in the top ten of the charts of other nations.[45] In the United States, it reached number five, becoming her seventh consecutive single to reach the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100.[46]

"Dance in the Dark" was released as the fourth and final single from the album in Australia, New Zealand, and France. It was originally released as a promotional single from the album as a part of the Countdown to Lady Gaga's The Fame Monster on iTunes. On November 9, 2009, the song was released on the United Kingdom's iTunes, as a promotional single for the Countdown to Lady Gaga's The Fame Monster, alongside "Alejandro". The song was initially planned to be released as a worldwide single after "Telephone", but Gaga had a dispute with her record label to release "Alejandro" instead.

Gaga and her production team developed a stage that looks like a frame with forced perspectives and everything for the show fitted within it. She felt that the design would allow her creative control.[14] Since the album dealt with the paranoias faced by Gaga over the year, the main theme of the show became evolution, with Gaga portraying growth as the show progressed.[50] She compared the setting of the stage with that of a hollowed-out television set. Elements of the cancelled tour with Kanye West were incorporated in some parts.[51] The set list of the tour consisted of songs from The Fame Monster as well as her debut album The Fame. For the 2010 shows, Gaga felt that a revamp of the show was needed as the original tour was constructed in a very short span of time. The revamped shows has a New York theme, and portrays a story where Gaga and her friends are in New York and get lost while going to the Monster Ball.[51] The show was divided into five segments with the last one being the encore. Each segment featured Gaga in a new dress and was followed by a video interlude, and Gaga in Gothic and artsy poses, to the next one.[52] Critics praised the show, commending Gaga's singing abilities and sense of style and fashion. They were also impressed by the pompousness and the theatricality of the show, comparing it to the tours of artists like Madonna.[53]

Sarah Hajibagheri from The Times commented that the album "lack[ed] the beat and bite that made us all go Gaga for the eccentric New Yorker."[64] Josh Modell of Spin commented that "When Gaga reaches for sincere balladry [...] she sounds lost".[62] Evan Sawdey from PopMatters commended Gaga for being "willing to try new things" and felt that the album shows "she's not complacent with doing the same thing over again ... Gaga is allowed to make a few mistakes on her way towards pop nirvana—and judging what she's aiming for with The Fame Monster, there's a good chance she's going to get there sooner than later."[13]

Mikael Woods from Los Angeles Times felt that The Fame Monster continued to demonstrate Gaga's creative ambition and stylistic range.[57] Jon Dolan from Rolling Stone felt that "half the disc is Madonna knock-offs, but that's part of the concept—fame monsters needn't concern themselves with originality."[61] Edna Gundersen from USA Today believed that on The Fame Monster, "Gaga's icy aloofness and seeming aversion to a genuine human connection leave a disturbing void. With an avant-garde intellect, pop-electro eccentricities and freaky theatrics competing for attention, there's no room for heart."[65]

Neil McCormick from The Daily Telegraph commented that the album has "an irrepressible quality that is given full rein. [...] Although not as thematically integrated as the original Fame, Gaga's vivacious energy, bold melodies and almost comically relentless sensationalism keeps things interesting."[9]MSN Music's Robert Christgau found it to be of "comparable quality" as The Fame and gave it an "A–", describing its tracks as "streamlined pop machines".[56]

In Australia, The Fame Monster initially charted with its predecessor, but was later considered as a stand-alone album. In its eighteenth week of release on the Australian chart, it climbed to number one, and has since been certified three times platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipments of 210,000 copies of the album.[72][73] The combined album also charted in Denmark, Ireland and Germany, where it reached the top in the last two territories.[74][75] The album charted at number two on the Japanese Oricon albums chart.[76] It has sold 577,000 copies in Japan.[77]

In the United Kingdom, The Fame Monster was released as a deluxe edition only with The Fame, and not as a stand-alone album, hence it charted under The Fame. On January 3, 2010, the album climbed to number two in the album chart.[78] All of the new tracks from The Fame Monster charted within the top 110 singles there, with the most popular unreleased track, "Telephone", charting inside the top-forty at number thirty.[79] In the week ending February 28, 2010, Gaga reached the top of the UK Albums Chart for a fifth week with The Fame Monster, coupled with The Fame. On March 21, 2010, the album went back up the UK chart to again take the number one spot beating the likes of the Glee Cast who were expected to reach the summit.[78] The album has reached thirteen on the European Top 100 Albums chart.[80] It was certified three times platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) for shipment of a three million copies across Europe.[81]